Summary

Do you have what it takes to be an astronaut? Blast off in this fun nonfiction picture book by the author of Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum to find out! a With an appealing text and funny, brightly colored illustrations, Meghan McCarthy transports aspiring space travelers to astronaut school in her young nonfiction picture book. Take a ride on the oVomit Cometo and learn how it feels to be weightless. Try a bite of astronaut food, such as delicious freeze-dried ice cream. Have your measurements taken-100 of your hand alone-for your very own space suit. Get ready for liftoff! a oMcCarthy introduces the paraphernalia of rocket travel with a corollary, direct humor that understands and respects its audience.o - Booklist a oThis appealing book is sure to find a wide audience.o - School Library Journal

Author Notes

Meghan McCarthy is the author-illustrator of many nonfiction picture books, including Earmuffs for Everyone!; The Adventures of Patty and the Big Red Bus; Strong Man; The Incredible Life of Balto; and Aliens Are Coming! . Learn more about Meghan and her books at Meghan-McCarthy.com.

Booklist Review

Welcome to astronaut school! So begins McCarthy's jaunty, informative exploration of the nature and scope of space-travel preparation. Readers follow four aspiring astronauts from classroom to cockpit as they focus, study, practice, and ultimately take off. McCarthy applies a light, comic tone to the subject, reflected in her simple, expressive, cartoony acrylic paintings. Whether trapped in a dark, double-page spread littered with test tubes and textbooks or floating weightlessly aboard the Vomit Comet, her appealing, unflappable space students commit to their study with suitable duty and good humor. McCarthy introduces the paraphernalia of rocket travel with a direct humor that understands and respects its audience. A diagram of a space toilet includes the vacuum for solids, hose for liquids, and thigh restraints. Indeed, content, narrative, and style are perfectly matched to one another here, and to the legions of curious youngsters to whom the constructive fun is aimed.--Barthelmess, Thom Copyright 2008 Booklist

Publisher's Weekly Review

McCarthy's signature bug-eyed characters return for another nonfiction excursion, this time for astronaut training. Addressed as "you," readers join three men and one woman as they undergo numerous tests of intellectual and physical endurance. Ever mindful of what fascinates her audience, McCarthy (Aliens Are Coming!) also visits a space toilet (her diagram helpfully points out the "vacuum for solids" and "hose for liquids") and devotes a spread to a ride on the legendary "Vomit Comet"--the airplane that NASA uses to give astronauts a momentary taste of weightlessness (the astronaut trainees remain unperturbed). The book signs off with a successful blastoff and a cheery, "Work hard and enjoy your time in space!" Bright, bold pictures and a wealth of information (including two full pages of facts and sources) take the place of Right Stuff bravado; this fare is strictly wholesome. Ages 5-8. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

School Library Journal Review

K-Gr 3-McCarthy speaks directly to children who dream of someday "BLASTING into outer space," inviting them to experience astronaut school with four aspiring recruits. Painted in a cartoon style, the three men and one woman have large saucerlike eyes and off-center smiles. The book gives a very real picture of the arduous training required before going into space. Full-color spreads done in acrylics on gessoed paper show authentic facilities like a swimming pool, a jet, and the Vomit Comet (a plane ride that allows passengers to experience weightlessness). The text and illustrations are simply done, and their very sparseness highlights important stages in astronaut preparation. A space suit and toilet are shown against white backgrounds, and their parts are clearly labeled. The space-shuttle liftoff, painted vertically, and images of the smiling characters in space capture the excitement of this ultimate adventure. The author includes a page of fascinating facts as well as a list of places to visit. This appealing book is sure to find a wide audience.-Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.